NAMI Family & Friends

NAMI Family & Friends is a free 90-minute or four-hour seminar that informs people who have loved ones with a mental health condition how to best support them. It’s also an opportunity to meet other people in similar situations and gain community support.

What You’ll Learn

The seminar is led by trained people with lived experience of supporting a family member with a mental health condition. They will walk you through the following topics.

  • Understanding diagnoses, treatment and recovery
  • Effective communication strategies
  • The importance of self-care
  • Crisis preparation strategies
  • NAMI and community resources

What People are Saying

“Hearing personal experiences and how relatable my experiences are to them was very helpful. Hearing specific strategies to communicate and specific traits that people with mental illness have. Know that the illness is what can cause “cruelty” and poor decisions rather than the person.”

“I have a better understanding of how mental illness impacts the person affected…it was nice to hear the stories of the instructors and their paths. The handbook (eBook) given has a lot of helpful information which I did not know about.”

Sign Up for a Seminar

Some NAMI affiliates have already started offering this seminar. However, if it isn’t already available, contact your local NAMI Affiliate about starting NAMI Family & Friends.

Search for upcoming seminars in your area

Additional Resources

NAMI Family & Friends Companion eBook

The NAMI Family & Friends companion eBook provides important information about mental health conditions including: conditions and diagnoses, treatment and recovery, crisis planning, resources and more. You can download it for free in multiple languges below:


The NAMI Family & Friends companion eBook is also available for direct download as a PDF in the following languages: